Case study: alcohol and tobacco

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Case study alcohol and tobacco

• Professor Christine Godfrey
• Department of Health Sciences, University of York

2
Background tobacco

• Alcohol and tobacco raise similar ethical issues,
  both legal, addictive harmful to users and others
• In 2005, 25 of men and 23 of women were smokers
  in UK
• In 2003, two thirds of children were exposed to
  smoke in the home
• Smoking associated with 1 in 6 of all deaths
  between 1998 and 2002
• Smoking ban welcomed

3
Background alcohol

• Alcohol-related deaths have doubled from 4000 in
  1991 to 8000 in 2005
• 8.2m people had alcohol use disorder in 2004

• Alcohol causes high level of harm to others
  drink driving, accidents, violence
• Yet legislation on drinking has not been
  introduced as it has for smoking

4
Role of Government

• Governments alcohol strategy has focused on
  education campaigns and voluntary labelling
• WHO-sponsored report found other measures to be
  more effective
• Conclusions
• Government should introduce more stringent
  measures to tackle drinking e.g. increasing tax,
  restricting hours of sale
• Analysis of longer opening hours needed

5
Costs to the NHS

• Should smoking or drinking affect access to NHS
  treatment?
• Alcohol consumption currently affects access to
  liver transplant
• Conclusions
• No victim blaming
• Appeals to change behaviour could be justified if
  help offered
• Government should encourage employers offer help
  to change behaviour

6
Role of industry

• Tobacco companies operate in countries with less
  stringent laws
• Conclusion
• Policies for greatest consumer protection should
  be adopted worldwide
• Industry lobbying to legalise snus - smokeless
  tobacco
• Conclusion
• Not convinced allowing snus would be helpful

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Protecting children

• Adverse effects of drinking and smoking on
  children is concerning
• Conclusions
• Banning smoking in the home would be very
  difficult to enforce
• Intervention might be acceptable if child at very
  high risk of harm
• Alcohol and tobacco industries should take more
  responsibility for preventing harm to child
  health